Mishmeres HaSholom: Ask the Rav

Q: As a teacher, I often bump into students away from the school building. Sometimes I meet girls who are doing things against school rules (e.g., tznius issues). I must note that I am aware of the fact that often their parents agree to this. Should I tell the school about what I saw?

A: When you come across girls acting against school rules, you should apprise the principal thereof. It is likely that the rules were not explicit enough, or that the girls did not receive sufficient warning. If that is the case, then the girls are not at fault and you should not divulge their names, especially if you caught them in action only once. In rare circumstances you should mention the names to the principal while adhering to the laws of lashon hara l’to’eles as delineated by the Chofetz Chaim, especially not to exaggerate, and to keep the to’eles in mind.

The following questions and answers were taken from the Mishmeres Hasholom pamphlet in Israel. For details and inquiries please e-mail us at office@hasholom.org or call 972-2 5379160.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the individual author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Hamodia.